The present invention is directed to the field of storage. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a plastic pallet which can be utilized by the consumer for various household applications. The pallet of the present invention is particularly suited for storing dry goods in wet/damp environments: fire wood, sacks of cement, tents, RV/camping supplies, etc., above garage floors, in attics, or the like.
The present invention comprises a plastic pallet comprising a) at least two longitudinally extending stringers defining the length of the plastic pallet; b) a plurality of laterally extending slats interconnected to the stringers, each of the slats having a first overall length and comprising i) a longitudinal upper face extending substantially the entire first overall length of the slat, ii) four-sided open-box construction including a side extending downwardly and tapered outwardly from each edge of the longitudinal upper face; iii) a series of laterally extending ribs each rib protruding from a lower surface of the upper face a limited extent into the open-box construction; whereby prior to assembly with the at least two longitudinally extending stringers, the slats may be nested to form a stack.
An additional feature of the plastic pallet of the present invention is that each of the at least two longitudinally extending stringers has a first end with a contoured notch and a second end having a complementarily shaped contoured protrusion which interlocks in the contoured notch effectively extending the length of the plastic pallet.
A third feature of the plastic pallet of the present invention comprises a. first attachment means formed on an upper surface of each of the longitudinally extending stringers; b. each of the plurality of laterally extending slats having a series of second attachment means formed on a lower surface of each laterally extending slat, the series of second attachment means being equal in number to the number of the plurality of longitudinally extending stringers; whereby the second attachment means of each of the plurality of laterally extending slats can be secured to the first attachment means of each of the plurality of longitudinally extending stringers to secure each of the laterally extending slats to the longitudinally extending stringers without utilizing any additional independent fasteners.
Various other features, advantages, and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent after a reading of the following detailed description.